IIT professor sent to jail over fake institute

Professor A.K. Ghosh, who headed the department of aerospace engineering at IIT Kharagpur, allegedly operated a fake institute Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) on the campus.

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Kavita Chowdhury

New Delhi

December 1, 2010

UPDATED: December 1, 2010 08:35 IST

Professor A.K. Ghosh of IIT Kharagpur, accused of operating a fake engineering institute, was on Tuesday remanded to 14-day judicial custody after his bail was rejected by a local court.

He had surrendered before the court on Monday.

The former head of the department of aerospace engineering was allegedly operating a fake institute, Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), on the IIT Kharagpur campus.

IIT Kharagpur had filed a police complaint, accusing him of operating the IEE with " forged documents" claiming recognition from the IIT. Earlier, students of the institute had also lodged complaints against him.

Ghosh has been booked under sections 417 and 420 of the IPC for cheating and under section 468 ( for forgery for purpose of cheating). The charges leveled against him are serious as two of the offences are non- bailable, with a penalty of seven years imprisonment and fine.

In his defence, the professor had submitted documents to the IIT, claiming that previous administrations had granted the IEE official recognition.

The IIT had conducted an internal inquiry, following which, sources said, the documents were found to be fake.

The Union HRD ministry is also holding an inquiry into the matter. The CVC and the ministry had been flooded with complaints from the duped students of the institute.

Official sources in Kharagpur confirmed that several other faculty members, both former and present, have also been named in the FIR. The court has called for the case diaries and is likely to deliberate upon the grant of bail on Wednesday.

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